It has been about a year since I wrote on this Blog but this topic and the associated media coverage have me so spun up it makes me sick. Had to dust off the Blog and weigh in on the topic.
First and foremost this whole issue is about the victims. Despite what many people seem to think and several have lost sight of, the KIDS are the victims in this story. Penn State, Joe Paterno, the University AD or President, and most certainly Mike McQuery are not the victims. Anyone who does what Sandusky did to those kids deserves to burn in the worst part of Hell. Let me say it again just to be clear... The kids are the victims!
With that being said let's move on to who is, or should be, the villain of this story. Sandusky is clearly the person who committed these horrible acts and HE is the one that needs to be held most responsible. If other people knew or failed to act, they deserve some blame but they were not the ones committing the acts. Since the story broke there has been almost no mention on the day to day overblown coverage of this mess about Sandusky. His name is mentioned here and there but for the most part it is just a prelude to a story about Penn State University or Joe Paterno. Let me say it again just to be clear... Sandusky is the villain!
Before I go any further... and because many people are probably already reading this and thinking that I am letting people off the hook... I believe that if indeed people knew about this and failed to act or act in a manner that would have stopped this sooner then they need to be held in some way responsible for their failures.
Here is the timeline as I know it.
In 1998 Sandusky was investigated for having showered and having sexual contact with a young boy. At that time he all but admitted guilt while on the phone with the Mother of the victim. When he made this admission two police detectives were listening on the line. The case was taken to the prosecutor who did not file charges. The fate of the prosecutor since then has come up but is completely unimportant to things now. What was important was his decision not to press charges then.
In 2002 Sandusky was discovered having sexual contact with a young boy while in a Penn State building by a graduate assistant of the University. That graduate assistant was the 28 year old Mike McQuery. He states that he saw the act in progress. He did not attempt to stop it but instead went home where he told his father. He and his father then told Joe Paterno the next day. Paterno then told his superiors, one of who was the direct supervisor for the campus police. There has been little to no news on what those individuals did with the information. Apparently at some point Sandusky was banned from bringing children on campus property following the incident.
Several reports state that Sandusky has been on campus since then, even up to days before his arrest.
Here are the players in the story.
Sandusky. Villain. Scum. Vile piece of trash. It is pretty obvious that he did the things he was arrested for and as I said earlier I hope he one day burns in the worst part of Hell. Between now and then I hope he is made to suffer for the things he did.
The Second Mile Organization. An organization founded by Sandusky to help troubled youths. The Organization that he was active in, holding camps and fund raisers.
Mike McQuery. The graduate assistant who was 28 at the time he saw Sandusky with the boy. He has gone on to become a valued coach at Penn State and the star witness for the Grand Jury.
Joe Paterno. The head football coach at Penn State and possibly the face of the University. He is now out of a job.
Penn State University.
Now to connect the dots so to speak. These are my opinions. Like them. Don't like them. They are as valid as anything I have seen droning on and on for the last several days.
In 1998 if the police and the prosecutor had done their job then there is a good chance we would not even be talking about this today. It seems obvious to me that at the very least there should have been a warrant sworn out and charges should have been brought against Sandusky. If he was found innocent then perhaps we would still be talking about it but what if... what if he had been convicted... and been labeled a sex offender... and been removed from the Second Mile Organization... and not been allowed near schools, such as Penn State. What if THOSE people had made the effort that everyone keeps pointing out that Paterno and Penn State should have made. There is a good chance that several children would have been saved from Sandusky.
In 2002 why did the 28 year old McQuery not do anything to save the child when he clearly saw what Sandusky was doing to him, by his own admission in the Grand Jury testimony. I find it hard to believe that he was so traumatized that his gut reaction was to run home to his father and observe what he felt was his chain of command. At the time Sandusky was not even a part of the football staff. It was not a football program issue, it was a criminal issue. McQuery should have at the very least called campus security or the police. He should have gone into the room and grabbed the child and removed him from the assault. At the very least he should have yelled out and attempted to make Sandusky stop. What is easier to believe is that McQuery was concerned that if he acted he would lose any chance he had to be involved in the Penn State football program. He was more concerned with his future than he was for a poor victimized little boy being raped by a grown man. He seems to always be looking out for his best interest over that of others. Strange that he is the star witness for the Grand Jury which grants him apparent immunity from any prosecution in this case. He could have acted and he DID NOT. He did not make any attempt to stop it, physically or otherwise, when he saw it and he failed to report it to police. Sadly, he is the one person at Penn State who has yet to lose his job. Hell, he was scheduled to be coaching on the sidelines up until Friday afternoon. The reason he was removed from the sidelines was reportedly because he was receiving threats. Later in the evening it was stated that he was placed on administrative leave. I imagine Penn State did this as they were being hammered for him being left nearly untouched in this for so long. McQuery is as guilty as anyone at Penn State.
From the start of this media storm it seems as though Joe Paterno was painted as the villain. His witch hunt came to an end with his being let go by the University. Could he have done more when he was told about the incident in 2002, sure. Does he know more about Sandusky than we will probably ever find out, sure. He could have done more. He was the face of the University and a man of great integrity. The University cleaned house, as they probably needed to, to save whatever face they had left. Strange they took so long with McQuery.
I am sure A LOT of people know more than they are admitting or ever will admit. I am sure people within the football program or people within the University know more than they will ever say. I am sure that people involved with the Second Mile Organization know more than they will ever say. To make a comparison, they left an alcoholic in charge of the liquor store. They supplied him with an endless supply of young boys to abuse. If anyone involved with the Organization knew they need to be burned at the stake as well. Why, after he was investigated in 1998 was he still allowed to be a part of the Organization. I understand he founded it but I have to say that if he was even being investigated for it he should have been removed from any and all contact with the children.
So many times this horrible story could have been stopped. Due to the lack of action by some it was allowed to go on. It all should have been stopped in 1998. It should have been stopped in 2002. How many more kids had to suffer at the hands of the monster. The police and prosecutor FAILED those children in 1998. McQuery FAILED those children in 2002 along with Paterno and Penn State to a lesser degree.
So many people FAILED those kids. They are the victims. They are the one who were wronged. They are the ones who were violated.
The media continues in the long line of people to FAIL the kids. So much of the reporting being done almost makes it sound like there are other victims here. McQuery, Paterno, Penn State, and the list goes on and on. None of those people or institutions are victims. Let's not lose sight of who the victims are... THE KIDS.
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